World Bank Terms Pakistan’s Growth Model ‘Flawed,’ Poverty at 8-Year High: Analyst Aamir Mateen
Lahore: Senior analyst **Aamir Mateen** has claimed that the **World Bank report** has declared Pakistan’s current growth and development model “flawed and ineffective,” leading to poverty reaching its highest level in eight years.
Speaking during a talk show, Mateen said that despite official claims of improvement, the World Bank’s findings reveal a grim reality: **over 60 million Pakistanis now live below the poverty line**, with poverty levels rising by **7% in the last three years**. He added that “two decades of progress in poverty reduction have been undone.”
According to the report, Pakistan’s **poverty rate has surged to 25.3%**, with **17.5 million people newly pushed into poverty**. Mateen stressed that without a structural change in the economic model, no amount of foreign aid or investment can resolve the crisis.
He highlighted that the current system, burdened by **high electricity, fuel, and gas prices** along with **record-high interest rates**, is unsustainable. Pakistan’s **growth rate has remained stuck at around 1.5%** in recent years, while agriculture has seen an alarming decline, with all five major crops facing downturns for the first time in five decades.
Mateen further pointed out that recent **floods have devastated millions of people**, exacerbating the economic crisis. While he acknowledged that agreements with countries like **Saudi Arabia** could bring short-term relief, he emphasized that unless Pakistan **overhauls its economic framework**, the country risks sinking deeper into crisis.
Would you like me to also draft a **short, punchy news headline version** (like newspapers use) along with this detailed one?
جو لوگ سب اچھا ہے کی رپورٹ دے رہے ہیں، سب جھوٹ بول رہے ہیں، کیونکہ ورلڈ بنک کی رپورٹ نے پاکستان کے ترقیاتی ماڈل کو ناکارہ اور غلط قرار دے دیا، کیونکہ اسوقت غربت آٹھ سال کی بلند ترین سطح پہ پہنچ چکی ہے، اچھی خبر اب سعودی پاکستان معاہدے کی وجہ سے شاید آجائے مگر کیونکہ ہمارا ماڈل ہی… pic.twitter.com/2AoUKfC5tK
— M T (@MusakheyraTasv) September 24, 2025
